Photographic copying machine



PHOTOGRAPHIC COPYING MACHINE Filed Sept. 13, 1.96?

IN V EN TOR. E RIC H NAGE United States Patent Int. (:1. cesb 27/62 US. Cl. 35575 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The holder of a photograpic copying machine wherein strips consisting of a series of originals are fed lengthwise comprises a clamping mechanism having two stationary clamping rails and two movable clamping rails which are biased toward the stationary rails to engage therewith the edges of a strip and to thus hold an original in a copying plane. Roller-shaped deflectors engage the strip upstream and downstream of the rails to flex the strip transversely beyond the copying plane and to thus hold against longitudinal flexing that original which is located between the rails. The deflectors and the movable rails are mounted on a carriage which is pivotably connected to a support and is biased by a spring to urge the movable rails toward the stationary rails and to urge the deflectors into engagement with the strip upstream and dovtmstream of the copying plane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to photographic copying machines, and more particularly to improvements in holders for strips consisting of a series of originals which are fed lengthwise through an enlarger or a like copying machine.

In certain conventional photographic copying machines with glass-free holders for originals, all four edges of an original which is held in a copying plane are engaged by a copying mask. When the original is shifted, the mask is likely to scratch one or both sides of the original. The likelihood of scratching is particularly pronounced if a row of originals is assembled into a strip by means of adhesive tape which extends transversely across the strip between successive originals. When a selected original of the strip is placed into the copying plane (i.e., into a position in which it is ready to be exposed to light and to have its image projected onto light-sensitive material), and when the edges of such selected original are engaged by a rectangular mask, some adhesive is likely to be squeezed out and to adhere to the mask whereby the picture on the reproduction will exhibit ragged edges. Deposition of adhesive normally takes place on such portions of the mask which extend transversely of the strip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of my invention to provide a novel and improved glass-free holder for use in enlargers for transparencies and in other types of photographic copying machines wherein strips consisting of a row of originals are conveyed lengthwise and to construct and assemble the holder in such a way that its component parts cannot cause the formation of blurred or uneven edges on the reproductions which are obtained from successive portions of a strip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder which need not utilize a rectangular mask.

A further object of the invention is to provide a holder which can be used in connection with strips of dilferent width.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a holder which invariably prevents longitudinal and/or transverse curling, flexing or other deformation of that portion of a strip which is located in the copying plane.

Briefly outlined, the improved holder comprises a support, clamping means mounted on the support and including pairs of preferably rail-shaped clamping members or masks movable with reference to each other between operative positions in which they engage the edges of a strip to maintain a first portion of the strip in a copying plane and open positions, and deflector means for deflecting from the copying plane at least one second strip portion located upstream and/or downstream of the first portion to thereby hold the first portion against longitudinal flexing.

The deflector means preferably comprises a pair of roller-shaped deflectors mounted on a carriage which supports one clamping member of each pair and is movable from an idle position (corresponding to open positions of the clamping members) to a second position to thereby advance the movable clamping members to operative positions and to simultaneously move the deflectors toward, across and beyond the copying plane in order to deflect the strip both upstream and downstream of such plane. The deflectors are preferably turnable about axes which are normal to the direction of travel of the strip.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved holder itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a holder which embodies my invention, the section being taken in the direction of arrows from the line I-I of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view as seen in the direction of arrows from the line II-II of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved holder comprises a support 1 constituted by an apertured plate which is mounted in a photographic copying apparatus. The support 1 carries a lever 4 which is connected thereto by a hinge 2 so that it can pivot about a horizontal axis which is parallel to the longitudinal direction of a strip 7. This strip can consist of a row or series of originals (negatives) joined end-toend by adhesive-coated bands. The direction in which the strip 7 is transported to place successive originals into registry with the optical system of the machine is indicated by the arrow A. A torsion spring 3 is coiled around the pintle of the hinge 2 and biases the lever 4 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2.

The lever 4 forms part of a carriage which supports the movable members or masks of a clamping mechanism. The carriage further comprises a flat box-like upper frame 6 of sheet metal which is connected to the lever 4 by spacer sleeves 14, 15 and whose underside carries two clamping rails or masks 10, 11. Two additional clamping rails or masks 8, 9 are mounted on top of a flat lower box-like frame or base 5 which is removably inserted into an opening of the support 1. Each of the frames 5, 6 has a rectangular cutout whose size at least equals the size of the image on an original of the strip 7. The lower rails 8, 9 respectively cooperate with the upper rails 11, 10 to engage the edges of that original 7a which is placed between the frames 5, 6 and to maintain such original in a copying plane when the spring 3 is free to turn the lever 4 in a clockwise direction, i.e., to move the upper rails 10, 11 toward the lower rails 9, 8, and to place the upper rails into operative positions shown in FIG. 2. The image of the thus clamped original 7a is then located within the cutouts in the frames 5 and 6. The rails 811 mask such portions of the original which should not be exposed to light.

In accordance with a further feature of my invention, the holder comprises a deflector means including two deflecting units which are located upstream and downstream of the frames 5, 6, as seen in the direction of the arrow A. Each of these units includes a roller-shaped deflector 16, 17 rotatable on a shaft 16a, 17a carried by the lever 4. When the upper rails 10, 11 assume the operative positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower portions of the deflectors 16, 17 are located at least slightly below the copying plane to flex the strip 7 upstream and downstream of that original 7a whose longitudinal edges are clamped by the rails. The shafts 16a, 17a extend transversely of the strip 7. The purpose of deflectors 16, 17 is to prevent longitudinal flexing of the strip 7 between the rails 811. All such portions .of the support 1 and frames 5, 6 which come into contact with the strip 7 are rounded and smooth to prevent scratching of or other damage to originals.

The lower frame or base 5 supports two idler rollers 12, 13 whose axes are parallel to the shafts 16a, 17a. The top portions of the rollers 12, 13 extend into but not beyond the copying plane. The diameters of the median portions of the rollers 12, 13 are reduced so that each thereof resembles a reel or spool having two flanges which engage the edges of the strip 7. In other words, the rollers 12, 13 engage the underside of the strip 7 only along two narrow portions Whose width need not exceed the width of the lower clamping rails 8, 9.

The Operation is as follows:

In order to insert the leading end of a fresh strip 7 into the holder, the operator turns the lever 4 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, to raise the upper clamping rails 10, 11 to their open positions. When the foremost original 7a overlies the cutout in the lower frame 5, the lever 4 is released so that the spring 3 presses the upper clamping rails 10, 11 against the edges of the original 7a and the deflectors 16, 17 move toward, across and downwardly beyond the copying plane to flex two portions of the strip 7 in a manner as shown in FIG. 1. The deflectors then prevent longitudinal flexing of the foremost original 7a.

It is clear that the deflectors 16, 17 can be replaced by elastically deformable or spring-biased rods, bars or like ends of the strip are under some tension to render the deflectors 16, 17 more effective.

The frame can be detached from the support 1 or the rails 8, 9 can be detached from or adjusted with reference to the frame 5 to facilitate conversion of the holder for use with wider or narrower strips. Also, the rails 10, 11 are adjustable on or separable from the upper frame 6.

The rails 8-11 engage only such portions of the strip which are outside of the copying zone. The same holds true for the deflectors 16, 17 so that eventual deposition of adhesive on these deflectors cannot affect the quality of copies. Furthermore, the deflectors reduce the need for lengthy focusing because the original which is to be copied is invariably located in a predetermined copying plane. Also, the deflectors 16, 17 hold the strip against longitudinal flexing even if the frame 6 is lifted slightly above the frame 5 to permit for transport of the strip 7. This insures that the strip remains in the desired path and that the detecting system of the copying machine can readily locate customary markers which are provided in or on the edges of the strip. Such markers may be constituted by notches or the like.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of my contribution to the art.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. A holder for supporting strips of originals in photographic copying machines wherein the strips are transported lengthwise, particularly for supporting strips of of negatives in enlargers, comprising a support; clamping means mounted on said support and including pairs of clamping members movable with reference to each other between operative positions in which they engage the longitudinal edges of a strip to maintain a first portion of the strip in a copying plane and open positions; and deflector means for deflecting from said copying plane at least one second portion of the strip adjacent to said first portion to thereby hold said first portion against lengthwise flexing in operative positions of said clamping members.

2. A holder as defined in claim 1, wherein said clamping members constitute rails, one rail of each pair being stationary and the other rail of each pair being movable toward and away from the one rail of the respective pair.

3. A holder as defined in claim 1, wherein said deflector means comprises two deflecting units which are respectively located upstream and downstream of said clamping means, as considered in the direction in which the strip is transported to place successive portions of the strip between said clamping members.

4. A holder as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said deflecting units comprises elongated roller means extending transversely of said direction and movable to positions in which at least a portion thereof extends beyond said copying plane.

5. A holder as defined in claim 3, wherein each pair of clamping members includes a first clamping member on said support and a second clamping member movable toward and away from the respective first clamping member, and further comprising a common carriage for said second clamping members.

6. A holder as defined in claim 5, wherein said deflecting units are mounted on said carriage to deflect portions of the strip upstream and downstream of said first portion in response to movement of said second clamping members toward the respective first clamping members.

7. A holder as defined in claim 6, further comprising means for biasing said carriage in a direction to move said second clamping members toward the respective first clamping members.

8. A holder as defined in claim 1, further comprising a base on said support for supporting one of each pair of said clamping members, and roller means provided on said base and having portions extending to said copying plane to engage the edges of said first portion.

9. A holder as defined in claim 8, wherein said roller means comprises a plurality of spool-shaped rollers.

10. A holder as defined in claim 1, further comprising a base mounted on said support and carrying one clamping member of each pair and a carriage hinged to said support and connected with said deflector means and with the other clamping member of each pair, said carriage being turnable with reference to said support about a pivot axis which is parallel With the strip.

11. A holder as defined in claim 10, wherein said base comprises a frame having a rectangular cutout whose size at least equals the size of the picture on said first portion.

5 6 12. A holder as defined in claim 10, wherein said car- 403,472 6/1966 Switzerland. riage comprises a second frame having a cutout which registers with said first mentioned cutout in operative NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner positions of said other clamping members. R A WINTERCORN, Assistant Examiner References Cited 5 FOREIGN PATENTS X.R. ,408 9/1920 Germany. 95-31; 3522 2 1, 223; 3539 5 325 523 11/1957 Switzerland, 

